Letter-file



(No Model.)

H.- L. SAWYER. LETTER FILE.

No. 484,247. Patented Oct. 11, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

HERBERT L. SAWVYER, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

LETTER-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,247, dated October 11, 1892.

Application filed February 13, 1892. Serial No. 421,394. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT L. SAWYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Files, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in letter-files.

The object of my invention is to provide a file-board and clip therefor which will be cheap and simple in its construction and operation and may be filed away in a case or elsewhere without permanently binding the letters clipped thereon, whereby any letter at any time may be removed from the file and the file-board will constitute a cover for the letters.

To this end my improvements have reference to a file-board composed of jointed members adapted to be folded and secured together for use as a file-board and to be unfolded and reversed to inclose theletters filed thereon, also have reference to a cheap and efiective form of clip mounted on said board and to various peculiarities of construction and operation of the same, and to other points of detail hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, on which like reference-letters indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 represents aperspective view of my device adapted for use as a file-board; Fig. 2, a perspective View of the file-board folded and slipped within its case, the side of the latter being removed; Fig. 3, a perspective of the rotatable member of the clip;

Fig. 4, an edge view of the clip, the rotatablemember being thrown backward to its intermediate position and the fully-open position indicated by dotted lines; and Fig. 5, a perspective view of the matching member of the cli I n the ordinary use of a file-board the letters are clipped thereon till a certain time has elapsed or number been reached, when they are removed from the board, permanently bound or secured together, and filed away in cases. If a letter be afterward required separate from the file, the binding must be broken in order to remove the letter. The file-board, also, is expensive and requires a case to receive the letters after the removal therefrom. I aim to overcome these difficulties, among others, by the provision of a file-board consisting of members A and B, hinged or otherwise secured together by an intermediate piece 0, so that the parts may be folded or doubled, as seen in Fig. 1, and secured by clamps D or other fastening means and constitute a file-board, the double thickness of the folded parts thus clamped together giving sufficient stiffness to the pasteboard or other material of which the parts are made. Upon this file-board thus formed is mounted a simple cheap clip consisting of a stationary member E, adapted to be secured to one thickness of the file-board by turned-down lugs e or otherwise. Two arched tubes H extend up from the base in an are about the point or axis F, at which is secured or hinged the rotatable member having a back board G, carrying curved hooks H, arched about the said point of rotation F and adapted to be inserted within the tubes H and slide back and forth therein when the back G rotates. I have shown a simple form of connection or hinge for this clip, formed by slotting one member, preferably'the rotatable one, as shown at I, Fig. 3, the distance between the slots on either side correspond ing to the width of an opening J in the back of the fixed member. The rotatable member is inserted within said opening by bending up the wings g to pass through the opening J and then unfolding the same to engage with the back, as shown in Fig. 4. The wings extend forward and support centrally an arched brace K, which bears against the top of the opening J of the fixed piece and maintains the matching notches I at the axisline F. The front of the member E is preferably arched, as seen in Fig. 5, and the brace K slides back and forth under this as a shield, carrying the hooks H back and forth in their sheathing-tubes. The hooks may be thrown backward, as shown in Fig. 4, to allow ready examination of the letters L, filed thereon, as shown in Fig. 1. A stop-piece M is carried by the rotatable member and engages with a spring-catch 0, extending transversely across the opening J, to limit the movement of the hooks, as shown in Fig.4. By depressing the spring the stop passes the opening and the hooks are drawn out of their sheaths as the back assumes the dotted position, Fig. 4. Any letter or letters may thus readily be removed from the file.

When the file is to be stored away,itis not necessary to remove the letters from the clip; but the fastening-piece D being removed the members A and B may be unfolded and reversed, so as to inclose the letters and present the intermediate member 0 as a back on which to designate the class of letters when the file is slipped into acaseP or stored away upon shelves, like books, the members A and B answering the same purpose as the covers of a book. If at any time a letter is required for reference, it may be readily found in the clip and removed therefrom by throwing the hooks out of their sheaths. No labor or trouble is necessary in removing the letters from the clip, since the clip and file-board constitute the binding and covers for the file of letters by simply freeing the folded members from the fastening-pieces D. If at any time additional matter is required to be inserted in the clip, it may be placed in proper order thereon.

The cheapness of the clip and the covers forming the file-board is secured by the simple construction and arrangement here shown, whereby the cost of the file-board and clip herein described is only a fractional part of the ordinary file-board with its accompanying filing-case. The lightness of the pasteboard or other material of which the covers may consist is of advantage to the user. The simplicity of the hinged connection formed by the interlocking notched engagement of one member with the other provides a cheap and effective form of clip. Other means than the bracing-arch K may be employed to maintain the rotatable member at the axis F when the hooks are drawn out of their sheaths, and I do not wish to limit myself to the exact form and construction shown and described.

The leaves L are indexed for any convenient classification, alphabetical, as shown, or otherwise, as desired. It will be seen that the letters or papers after once being indexed remain as originally classified, no transfer from the board being necessary after they are once in position, since by my arrangement the file-board is transformed into a protectingcase for the file. It will be observed, also, that the arched brace K forms a continuation of the curved front of the file-clip. The edges of the papers mounted on the clip are therefore backed up and guided while they are shifted back and forth, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. et-that is to say, they are at all times in engagement with the guidingsurface while mounted in the clip.

The index leaves and papers are provided with elliptical or otherwise elongated openings 1, Fig. 1. Referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the tubes H pass substantially at right angles through the leaves and that as the file fills up the curve of the tubes causes them to pass slantingly through the upper leaves, thus requiring an opening longer in one direction than in another.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a letter-file, the combination, with a suitable support, of a file-clip consisting of a fixed member secured to the support and a rotatable member, one member having filinghooks and the other member sheaths for said hooks, both hooks and sheaths being curved about the axis of rotation, a stop to obstruct the withdrawal of said hooks from their sheaths, and a spring-catch to free said stop and allow separation of the hook and sheaths.

2. In a letter-file, the combination, with a support, of a file-clip mounted thereon and consisting of a fixed member secured to said support and a rotatable member having a notched and interlocking engagement with said fixed member at the axis of rotation, and means to maintain the letters on said clip and prevent the disengagement of said interlocked members.

3. In a letter-file, the combination, with a file-board, of a file-clip consisting of a fixed member mounted on said board and having an arched front and tubular sheaths parallel thereto, and a rotatable member having a pivotal engagement with said fixed member and provided with hooks arched to correspond with and enter said sheaths, a stop carried by the rotatable member, and a springcatch mounted on the fixed member, the engagement of the said stop and catch obstructing the withdrawal of the hooks from their sheaths, yet allowing of separating the same to remove said letters from the clip.

4 In a letter-file, the combination, with two members adapted to form covers and an intermediate member hinged to said cover and adapted to form a back, of a clip mounted on one cover separate from the back, which allows of folding the other cover under the former cover without acting on said clip, and means to secure said covers temporarily in their double-folded position to constitute a file-board, substantially as described.

5. In a letter-file, the combination, with a file-board, of a clip mounted thereon, consisting of a member fixed to a file-board and provided with arched hooks for the index leaves and papers and 'a rotatable member operating therewith, both members having a grooved guiding-plate substantially concentrio with said hooks and sliding one within the other, the arch of the rotatable member thus forming a continuation of the arch of the fixed member when rotated outward,whereby a continuous guiding'surface for the back edges of the index-leaves mounted on said clip is provided, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a letter-file, the combination, with a file-board, of a file-clip mounted thereon, consisting of arched hooks secured to said fileboard and an arched plate concentric with said hooks and adapted to form a guide for the back edges of the file mounted on said hook.

"7. In a letter-file, the combination, with a file-board,of a file-clip mounted thereon, consisting of arched hooks and an arched front plate concentric with said hooks and provided with an opening in the back thereof, a matching-plate also concentric with said hooks and front plate and adapted to rotate into and out of the said opening and provided with arched hooks operating in connection with the former hooks on the fixed member, whereby the clip may be opened more or less and increase the length of the arc of said hooks and plates.

S.- In a letter-file, the combination, with a file-board, of a file-clip consisting of a fixed member mounted thereon and a rotatable member hinged thereto, the said members bearing pieces adapted to clip said file and hinged together by slots in one member meshing and interlocking with matching portions of the other member Without other central connection to secure them together.

9; In a letter-file, the combination, with a file-board, of a clip thereon, an arched'member fixed to said board and arear opening toward the center axis about which the arch is formed, and a rotatable member having a similar arched plate matching said opening and provided with slots I, engaging with said fixed. member, the arch of the rotatable member operating under the arch of the fixed member and preventing the separation of the hinge at the common axis, substantially as described, and clipping means operating in connection with said arched members tosupport the letter-file adjacent thereto.

10. In a letter-file, the combination, with a file-board, of a clip mounted on said board and consisting of a fixed member secured to the board and provided with arched sheathing-tubes and a front plate concentric therewith and provided with an opening behind, a rotatable. member having an arched plate adapted to fit said opening and carryinghooks concentric with the plate portion and meshing with said sheathing-tubes, and a springcatch mounted transversely to said opening and adapted to be engaged by a projection from the rotatable member to limit the outward movement and maintain the hooks sheathed and allow of unsheathing said hooks by freeing said stop and catch.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

o HERBERT L. SAWYER.

Witnesses: OLIVER H. MILLER, H. M. PLAISTED. 

